Sorry, But Alcohol Doesn’t Actually Warm You Up

Good try, though.

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Tailgates are all fun and games until it's barely 40 degrees and your university sweatshirt isn't doing anything to fight the wind chill. Trust me, I've been there. And all I could think about was getting warm somehow instead of having a good time.

Naturally, the next move is to shotgun the beer someone just handed to you. Everyone knows that alcohol heats your body up a little, right?

Turns out that drinking alcohol when you're cold does not have the effect that many of us thought it did. Even though it may feel like you're getting warmer, in reality you're lowering your body temperature by drinking.

Here are the three main reasons you probably should pass on the apple cider jello shots the next time you're partying in the cold.

However, this also means that the body's natural process of staying warm is being reversed, so your poor organs are getting cold and neglected.

2. Sweating

Biology 101 refresher: your blood vessels also dilate during physical activity, and it doesn't just make you feel warmer, but also leads to sweating. Perspiring is your body's way of releasing heat to cool you down. But when your blood vessels are dilating, your body can't tell if it's because you've been enjoying too much spiked hot chocolate or partaking in Crossfit training for an hour.

Either way, the dilation means you'll most likely start sweating. And if you happen to be outside in the cold when it happens, you'll be losing the internal heat that your body should be retaining in chillier weather conditions.

So if it wasn't clear yet, these effects of alcohol leave you practically defenseless to the cold weather. Rather than risk potential hypothermia, put down the cheap beer, and maybe try to raise your body temperature with these foods instead.